Fuel-distilling apparatus



Filed April 6. 1925 F. E. HOBSON ET AL FUEL DISTILLING APPARATUS June 5, 1928.

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ATTORNEY Patented June 5, 1928.

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FUEL-DISTILLING Arranurus.

Natation mea april s, 1925. serial '.No.. cassa Our invention relates to improvements in fuel distilling apparatus wherein sawdust, or other comminuted wood; slack coal, or

. other comminuted coal; comminuted peat,

and the like, are carbonized, and the prod- -ucts of 'thedestructive distillation of said materials including charcoal, are saved.

This invention' is an improvement on the invention disclosed in the ,application for 1Q Letters Patent for fuel distilling apparatus by said Frank E. Hobson, filed Nov. 26, 1923, Serial No. 676,953 which has for its principal object the roduction of a retort through which commlnuted fuel is caused to move under positive control while under conditions adapted to extract and save the products of destructive distillation. One of the objects of our improvement is to introducel heat-conducting and heat-disthe retort and the material therein which `conduct heatvfrom said wall to said material while preventing contact between the wall and material, and another object of our improvement is to compel downward movement of said material nearest said hotn wall.

We attain these objects with the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawingsin which Figure 1 is a front elevation j of"=ourl retort l in section on a medial, vertical lane, Fig. 2 is a top plan view downward rom the line 2.-2, and Fig. 3 is a plan view downward in section on the line 3-3. v Similar charactersrefer'to similar parts throughout.`

` More particularly: The outside shell 4 of our retort is c lindricaland its lower end bears on the li'ottom external flange 5 of the innerwall 12 offthe retort,- while said flange bears on foundation 6. In wall 4 near its lower end is annular enlargement 7 into which enters theue, or smoke pipe' 8 of furnace as' havin damper 9. The upper end of the heat c amber a* between walls 4 and12 is closed at b* and from said chamber at its upper end leads smoke pi e 10 having damper 11 and being connecte to a stack not shown. Inner wall 1 2 of the retort extends from its lower iange 5 to receiving hopper l18, but has annular enlargements 14 and 16 near its upper end. In heat chamber a* ishelical baille 13 which compels the hot gases of combustion ffrom furnace tributing means between the heated wall of a8 to pass several. times around saidl chamber while passlng from said furnace to smoke vpipe '10. Pipe' 15 is connected-tb enlargechamber w12 through opening als which is cirY cular, concentric with wall 12 and somewhat smaller than the upper end of said wall where it joins hopper 18.

A plurality of concentricysuperposed, inverted, truncated hollow cones 21 are fastened together to forman annular louvered curtain by bars 22. 'This curtain loosely fits the `inside of wall'12 and extends upward lfrom near" the bottom of the retort chamber to closely beneath hopper 18, and the external diameter of the upper member 21 is larger than hopper outlet all. Bars 22 extend above louvered curtain 2l and are fastened to hoop 23. A plurality of concentric, superposed, truncated hollow cones 24 are fastened together with four bars 25 attached to the inner rim of each ofthe cones. This latter set of truncated hollow cones is centrally. placed in-the retort and extends from the upper end of gas pipe 26 below to the lower end of gas pipe 27 above. Below, bars 25 extend beyohd the lowest cone and engage the upper end of pipe 26 which serves as a guide therefor. Above, bars.25 extend beyond the conicall part to the top of neck b of highest cone 24 and are fas-- tened to the inner end of gas pipe 27 with which said C neck makes a closure. Trun-v cated cones "24 with their 'frame bars 25 lconstitute a louvered gas receiver, or collector. Gaspipe 27 is mounted for vertical shifting in guides 28 which are fastened within collar 29. Collar 29 is fastened by brackets v30 and standards 31, to receiving hopper 18. A L short rubber hose 32 makes a? exible connection between the outer end of gaspipe 27 and, the continuation thereof, pipe 33 which is connected to a gas condenser not shown. To the elbow of pipe 27 in the axis of its vertical end is fastened eye stud 34. To eye 34 is` fastened the lower end of cable 35 which is reeve'd over lead sheave 36 and fastened to the upper end of fulcrumed lever 39. Sheave 36 is mounted for revolution in a bearing bracket fastened to beam 37. In a hole 38 in the upper end.

of fulcrufned lever 39 cable 35 is fastened, as stated. Lever 39 is fulcrumed at 40 to a bracket fastened to beam 41. The lower end of cable 42` is fastened to hoop 23 and reeved over lead sheave 43 and lts upper end is fastened in hole 46 in lever 39 below its fulcrum. At the opposite end of a diameter from the fastening point of cable 42I cable 44 is fastened to hoop 23, is reeved over lead sheave 45 and has its upper end fastened in holel 46 with cable 42. Sheaves 43 and 45 `are mounted in bearing brackets for revolution which are fastened to beam 37. As illustrated, eight spaced chains 47 are pendant in the retort chamber L12 between louvered curtain 21 and louvered gas collector 24. Their lower ends approach the lower end of the retort chamber and their upper ends are fastened to hoop 48.

At the opposite ends of a diameter of hoop 48 are fastened the lower ends of cables 49 and 51 which are reeved over lead sheaves and 52 respectively, and their upper ends join at hole 53 in the lower end of lever 39 1n which they are fastened. A cable 54 is connected between the lower end 'of levery 39 and a pin a5*s in crank 55. Crank 55 is fastened lto one end of shaft 56 which is.

mounted for revolution in a bearing bracket fastened tobeam `57. On shaft 56 is also fastened power pulley 58 on which is mountpulley 65 connected to a power pulley, notshown, by-belt a". ,Material drawn from hopper 62 by chains 63 fall into chute 66 which conducts itto the desired container, not shown. Y

As illustrated, pipe 27 with louvered gas collector 24 attached, is adapted for verti-v cal shifting, as also are louvered curtain 21 and chains 47. The louvered curtain and s collector are set against each other t rough their vconnections with lever 39 while the vweight of chains 47 is added to that of the louvered curtain with an advantage in lever length. Thus the weight of the three movable parts of the retort operate to force lever 39 against stop 60. The length `of cable 54 is suited to retain lever 39 in its f ull-line position when crank is in its fullline position, and when said crank is in its dotted position at 55 lever 3 9 is against stop at 39 and cable 54 is slack4 and in its dotted position at 54. Hence slow revolution ofcrank 55 causes louvered curtain 21 and louvered gas collector 24 to slowly rise and fall, oppositely, through a small dis,- tance between longer eriods of pause while simultaneousl vertically shi ed with the louvered curtain but through about three times the space. In practice by preference the distance through which the louvered curtain and the louvered gas collector are reciproca-ted is about onehalf inch while the chains move about one and one-half inches. As stated, these movements vare made slowly with longer periods of pause intervening.

The presence of the louvered curtain 24 next to the inside of the inner shell 12 prevents material within the retort chamber 1112 from coming in contact with said wall during the entire extent of said curtain. As illustrated, this curtain extends from immediately beneath Ahopper outlet alL8 to a point below enlargement 7, into which thev hot gases of combustion from furnace as enter on their way through chamber a* to smoke pipe 10. Therefore, there is relatively little heat delivered to the material within the retort which is below the lower end of curtain 24. Heat from shell 12 must cross a short space of air by convection and radiation to reach the material exposed between the louvers of said curtain and in addition must pass through these louvers by conduction to enter the material lying on the inner sloping surface of said louvers. In this way heat from shell- 12 is distributed and modified before entering into said material; thus diminishing the danger of said material being injured through excess of temperature. Also, the. short, recurrent, shifting, vertical movements of said curtain louvers causes a positive movement downward of the materialv in contact with and approximate to said louvers. The separation of the material from direct contact with hot wall 12 and the forced downward movement of said material between its-outer periphery and Vchains 47 are the features which this invention adds to that for which said Frank E. Hobson applied for patent as above mentioned.

and slmilarly chains 47 arey Having thus disclosedour invention, what we claim as new and' desire to secure by Letters Patent is,- l f v L1. In a retort comprising a vertical retort shell, a centrally located, vertical gas collector therein and spaced therefrom,

means adapted to heat said retort shell, a f

vertical cylindrical hanging louvered curtain between said gas collector and said shell and proximate to said shell and spacedfrom said gas collector, and means adapted toy shift said curtain vertically ,whereby material in said retort between saidvgas collector and said curtain may be prevented frm 06nvertical cylindrical hanging louvered curtain between said gas collector and said shell and proximate to said shell and spaced from said gas collector, spaced chains hanging between said gas collector and said curtain,Y

V means adapted to shift said curtain vertically and means adapted to shift said chains vertically whereby material in said retort between said gas collector and said curtain may be prevented from contacting with said shell while being carbonized -by heat' therefrom and may be stirred while being moved downward in said retort.

3. In a retort in combination, a vertical retort shell, a centrally-located, vertical c lindrical, louvered gas collector within sald retort shell and 'spaced therefrom, means adapted to heat said retort shell, a vertical cylindrical hanging louvered curtain between said gas collector and said shell and proximate to said shell and spaced from said gas collector, spaced chains hanging in said retort between said gas collector andy said curtain, means adapted to shift said curtain vertically, means adapted to shift said chains vertically and means ada t- 'ed to shift said ygas collector vertica y whereby material in said retort'between said gas collector and said curtain may be prevented from contacting with said retort shell while being carbonized by heat therefrom and may be forced to move downward in said retort both at its outer and inner surfacesl` and within ,the mass thereof while it' is being stirr'ed.

4. In a retort in combination, a vertical-r retort shell a centrally located vertical c lindrical louvered gas collector within said retort shell and spaced therefrom, a vertical cylindrical'hanging louvered curtain between said gas collector and said shell and proximate to said retort shell and s aced low material to enter the top' of said retort, controllable means adapted to remove said material from the bottom of said retort, means communicating with and adapted to receive the volatile eminations from said gas collector, and means adapted to control the temperature rof said material while insaid retort whereby said material may be forced to pass through said retort at a desired rate, may be carbonized by heat from said retort wall without contact/f ing therewith, may be stirred within said retort while passing therethrou h and the gaseous eminations therefrom co lected.

'FRANK E. HoBsoN. JAMES F. sHEL'roN. 

